Activism

Voting rights. Civil Rights. Reproductive rights. A living wage. Equal access to education. Progress on these and every other major social issue of our time has its roots in the activism and advocacy of everyday people in the past. Did you know it took 100 years for the 19th Amendment to be ratified into the Constitution? One hundred years of American women organizing, campaigning, marching, writing, speaking, protesting, and being jailed.

Queen Lili‘uokalani poses for a royal portrait. She wears a sash. Read the Story Behind This Object Queen Liliʻuokalani

New York's 1912 Suffrage March demonstrated the large number of women willing to speak out for voting rights. At the head of the parade, a young Chinese woman, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, rode horseback on the front lines and made a bold statement.

Collection Objects

Discover the stories behind these objects or explore more collections related to activism and advocacy.

Papier-mache version of the Statue of Liberty. Liberty is Latina and carries a cornucopia of tomatoes instead of a tablet. Instead of a torch, she holds a tomato aloft in her hand.
Collection Item
Immokalee Statue of Liberty by Kat Rodriguez
Sylvia Rivera sits flanked by her partner Julia Murray (right) and activist Christina Hayworth at the Saturday Rally before New York’s Gay Pride Parade
Collection Item
Sylvia Rivera
Wedding dress with high collar, a jacket with long sleeves, and many ruffles.
Collection Item
Susette La Flesche's Wedding Dress
Wooden hatchet featuring art of the turtle, bluebird, rooster, and swallow.
Collection Item
Women’s Christian Temperance Union Hatchet
Record that reads "Commodore: Classics in a Swing. 526-A. Strange Fruit. Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra. Piano Interlude by Sonny White."
Collection Item
“Strange Fruit” Shellac Record
White political poster with black text titled THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING A WOMAN ARTIST
Collection Item
“The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist” poster by the Guerilla Girls

Conversation Kit

Let's Talk! Queen Liliʻuokalani Conversation Kit

Grades 6–12. Time: Variable (1–3 class periods). Aligned to CCSS and C3 standards.

In this lesson plan, students will learn how the legacy of Queen Lili'uokalani, the Hawaiian Kingdom's only reigning queen and last monarch, continues to inspire activism efforts and social movements today.

Videos

Playlist

Women's Liberation

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Songs of activism and protest compiled by Meredith Holmgren, Curator of American Women's Music.

 

Smithsonian American Women book cover.

Smithsonian American Women

Remarkable objects and stories of strength, ingenuity, and vision from the National Collection.

Buy the Book